Hame-fastener.



No. 654,477. Patehted July 24, won.

T. monms.

HAME FASTENER. (Application md Apr 6, 1900.

(No Model.)

NITED STATES PATENT OFFrcs.

THOMAS J. MORRIS, ()F DORCHESTER, NEBRASKA.

HAM E-FASTEN ER.

$PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 654,477, dated July 24, 1900.

Application filed April 6, 1900.

To all whom it ntay concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. MoRRIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dorchester, in the county of Saline and State of Nebraska, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hams-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in hame-fasteners, and pertains to a fastener consisting of two wire loops and a lockinglever coacting therewith, allof which will be fully described hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to so construct the wire loops with which the locking and releasing lever coact for locking and releasing the hame that when the lever is in its lockedposition the wires will be locked together, so that the fastener will not become accidentally unfastened should the haines become loose.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a hams-fastener embodying my invention, the same being shown in its locked position. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is afront elevation, the fastener being shown in its unlocked position. Fig. at is a detached view of the wire loop or link which is pivotally connected with one end of the locking and releasing lever. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the other wire loop or link through which the link pivoted to the locking and releasing lever passes.

Referring now to the drawings, A indicates the harnes, which will be of the usual construction. Connected with the lower ends of the hames are the two hook members 0 and D, which have one of their ends respectively provided with the hooks c and cl, which pass through the lower ends of the hames,as shown, and may, if desired, be fastened therein by passing wires 0 therethrough, as illustrated. The hook member 0 is provided with a p1urality of projecting headed studs 6, which serve as means for attaching one end of the lever-loop E thereto, the free end of the loop being provided with a contracted stud-receiving portion f, which permits of the loop being placedupon either of the said studs and held there by the contracted portion against removal, as will be readily understood by those skilled in mechanics, and by means of Serial No. 11,870. (N0 model.)

the plurality of studs I am enabled to adjust my fastener for use inconnection with hames upon collars of various sizes.

The lever loop or link E has one end passing through a perforation 9, formed in an outwardly-projecting lug t upon one end of the locking-lever G. Especial attention is directed to the formation of the pivoted end of this loop or link E. The link near its pivoted end is contracted at the points It between the expanded portions 2" and the comparatively-smaller expanded portion 70, which is in effect the pivotal portion which passes through the lever, as before stated.

The inner side of the lever G is provided with a projecting hook H, which is adapted to receive the free end of a loop I, the opposite end of the loop being suitably connected to the free end of the connecting loop member D. Especial attention is directed to the construction of the said loop I, which is gradually contracted toward its connected end, as shown, and is of such a width between the stems thereof that when the lever is forced into its locked position (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) the enlarged pivotal end of the loop E is forced through between the stems of the loop I, the stems then resting in the contracted portion of the pivoted end of the loop E, the contracted and expanded portions at each side thereof thus serving as means to lock the loops and the locking-lever in their locked position, so that they cannot be accidentally separated should the hame become loose, for the reason that before-the locking-lever can be thrown into the unlocked or released position shown in Fig. 3 the enlarged pivotal end of the loop E must be forced through the loop I, which causes a slight expansion of the said loop in the passage therethrough in either direction-as, for instance, when carrying the fastener into a locked position or into an unlocked position.

When the fastener is locked, the enlarged end of the loop E, and to which enlarged end the locking and releasing lever G ispivotally connected, is forced between the stems of the loop I, and, as before stated, this construction serves to prevent the accidental releasing or unlocking of the fastener, and when it is desired to unfasten the fastener the lever is thrown outward into the position shown in IOO Fig. 3, which carries the bulged or enlarged pivotal end of the loop E through between the stems of the loop I.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that when the fastener is in a locked position the bulged pivotal end of the loop E is in a line outside of the hook at the inner side of the lever, so that the strain serves to hold the lever in a locked position, and hence serves to hold the fastener in a locked position so long as the hames remain tight, and hence under tension. Attention is also directed to the fact that the pivoted end of the loop E is turned outward from the contracted portion thereof, which, together with the outturned end of the pivoted end of the lever G, formed by the lug thereon, serves to carry the pivoted end of the loop E to a point outside of the point of connection of the loop I with the said lever Gr. Attention is also called to the fact that the stems of the loop I rest against the enlargement t" of the loop E when the parts are in their locked position, so that when the fastener is under tension (as when the hames are tightened) the loops are looked against an inward pressure against the collar in that the loop I laps over and engages the outer side of the expanded or bulged portion 71 of the loop E.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A hame-fastener comprising two loops, one loop having its free end enlarged and adapted to pass between the sternsof the other loop, a lever having one end pivoted to the enlarged end of the said loop and having at its inner side a hook adapted to engage the free end of the other loop, substantially as described.

2. A hame-fastener comprising the loops E- Witnesses.

THOMAS J. MORRIS. Witnesses:

E1) M. PARKER, L. BUTIN. 

